Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a process for the synthesis of fluorinated dimethyl ethers which have utility as refrigerants, as blowing agents, etc.
Bis(difluoromethyl)ether has been prepared previously by chlorination of dimethyl ether followed by isolation and fluorination of bis(dichloromethyl)ether. The chlorination step gave a complex mixture of chlorinated dimethyl ethers some of which were unstable, e.g. to distillation, from which bis(dichloromethyl)ether was separated. Two of the ethers in the mixture, chloromethyl methyl ether and bis-(chloromethyl)ether, are potent carcinogens.